Crimson Flames of Domination
by majik7
Summary: Rias' Bishop- KIA. Those words would change the rest of Issei's life as he pulls her killer into the depths of crimson purgatory. Increasingly OP Issei. Pairings not decided...yet.
1. KIA

**This is a side project I wanted to use to practice more combat related stuff. Chapters will be usually be around 3k.**

The achievements of Issei not only achieving his balance breaker as well as defeating a high class devil that could regenerate indefinitely, were greatly overshadowed by grief. It had been 2 weeks since that day….The day that Raiser Phenex killed Asia Argento.

He could still see it, her screaming as she was burned alive, and was dead before the Rating Game system could retire her. He'd been too far away to make it to her in time. He could still feel it, holding her body feeling her skin crunch in his hands as it started glowing, the system finally taking her away.

 _Rias' Bishop - Killed in Combat._

That announcement echoed through his mind over and over again, not believing he'd just lost someone so innocent, so caring...just taken from the world for no real purpose.

Issei's vision went almost completely black afterwards, only one thing stood out.

Raiser Phenex - Asia's murderer.

Issei could only recall a few more details from that point on. One was Ddraig, yelling to Raiser to prepare to face a depth of hell he'd never escape from. Then there was a mass of voices talking, saying to chant for her, claim his revenge for her. To _Drown Him_ in a fire that would never stop burning. It would only stop when every inch of him had been consumed.

 **-LineBreak-**

 **Rating Game**

"FORFEIT OR I BURN HER ALIVE!" Issei could hear Raiser yell out from the rooftop that was just out of view.

'Faster! C'mon legs, I need to run FASTER! I can't let him hurt Asia!' Issei yelled in his mind, feeling the rise in Raiser's power as he prepared his flames in one hand. A building on the fake school campus was the only thing keeping his sight on what his enhanced devil ears were picking up on.

Issei ran with all the strength he could muster, to save the girl he'd already failed once before. The corner covering where Raiser was facing against Rias and Asia passing his view, and there he saw it.

Raiser was standing on a rooftop with Asia in his grasp, a fire building in his hand that was pointed at the blonde Bishop. Rias was across from him, not looking overly worried, like she didn't believe that he'd actually kill a member of her peerage, especially with how much he preached about the numbers of devils needing to be boosted.

Issei released his devil wings that he had minimal control of, and took flight to the roof, but he'd still be another 15-20 seconds away. Rias muttered something to Raiser that even devil hearing couldn't pick up, and Raiser seemed angered by it, judging by his flames growing in size rapidly.

Issei knew that Rias wouldn't attack Raiser, in fear of the power of destruction hurting Asia also, that power was too unpredictable. So he was the only thing that could help her right now.

Asia winced as the heat next to her head increased, starting to singe her golden blonde hair. She caught sight of Issei flying towards her as quickly as he could. Her eyes started to water, she could feel that Raiser was prepared to kill her, it was the same feeling that Raynare and Freed had given her while she was still with the group of strays. She didn't want Issei to see her die, it would bring him so much pain, she didn't want that for the first friend she'd ever had.

Asia closed her eyes, starting to pray in her mind, ignoring the migraine it gave her as she made one last request of the holy entity she'd followed all her life. 'Please Lord, when I am gone, let me watch over Issei. Let me heal him from above, watch over and guide him to be happy.'

"Her death is on your head then." Issei could hear Raiser say with a smirk, before fully igniting the fire he held, engulfing Asia from her stomach to the top of her head.

The single tear rolling down Asia's cheek was the last thing Issei saw of his friend, before it evaporated when the fire surrounded her. No one saw the golden light shine from her hands as the blood curdling scream rang from within the fire.

" _AHHHHHH!_ " The scream only lasted a brief moment, before her hands dropped to her side lifelessly.

Rias stood there, shocked to her core at seeing Raiser make true to his threat, and burned her new bishop. Raiser called her bluff, not believing that she could beat him even without the healing of the twilight healing user. Rias' eyes were wide, her face showing fear for what would condition Asia would be in, if she even lived. Then her attention was torn to the side, as another scream came out.

"ASIAAAA!" She could hear her pawn yell, before he came to the roof as a blur.

Raiser called off his flames, tossing the body towards his opponents, the lack of movement was his confirmation that his promise held true, the girl was dead.

Issei caught Asia just before her charred remains hit the roof they were standing on. He knelt with her held in his arms. His eyes not believing what he saw. What was once a face of innocent beauty, was now just a lump of lifeless and charred flesh.

"Asia! Wake up! Please Asia WAKE UP!" He screamed out.

 **[Partner, she's gone.]** Ddraig called out to his host in a sullen tone, knowing all too well what flames did to a persons body with direct contact. The emotions of his host started to flood into the Boosted Gear. Sorrow that was laced with Rage, the need to avenge his friend, all calling to the Dragon of Domination.

And he shared the sentiment. Ddraig himself had experienced a similar event when he was alive, and with someone who was much like Asia. The blonde girl was the only one his host hung around that he liked, and not because of the calming feeling she gave him because of her Dragon tamer ability, but because she held nothing but honest and pure intentions.

"No...Asia. You can't die on me like this...Not again." Issei whispered to the body in his arms, tightening his grip on her shoulder, only to hear and feel it crunch as he did so. He felt the sorrow pulse through his body as he teared up. Remembering this was now the second time that Asia's life was taken for someone else to gain something. And that sadness was quickly turning into a burning rage.

'I failed her again...and she can't come back this time..' Issei thought. Asia's body starting to glow, the sign that the rating game system was finally taking her away from this place. Then Grayfia's voice resounded all over the field.

" _Rias' Bishop - Killed in Combat."_

Issei just stared at the empty place in his arms that Asia was just teleported from. He didn't pay attention to the yells of Rias and Raiser behind him, or the fire that flew passed him and scorched his back. The only thing Issei could focus on, was that Asia was dead, and Raiser was responsible. The rage was in control now, only thinking of spreading the Phenex's remains all throughout the field, taking from him what he took from Asia.

Issei stood from his spot, his head hung low, hair covering his eyes. **[BOOST!]** The gauntlet glowing as it gave the command saying that Issei's power had been doubled. He could hear faint voices whispering in his ear, telling him what he should do. And they were all wanted what he did, to kill Raiser Phenex. The voices were in unison with his own thoughts, melding into one.

" _HE took her from us. HE thinks he can steal from us. HE needs to pay. HE needs to burn. HE needs to DIE!"_ Issei whispered together with the dozens of voices that were from both men and women.

A Red glow started to cover Issei's body as the voices only brought him further into his rage. Issei shot his head up and glared towards the figure of Raiser Phenex as he prepared another ball of fire to shoot towards Rias.

"RRRRAAAAAIIIIIISSSSSEEERRRR!" Issei screamed out, his voice cracking from the volume.

The red glow intensified, covering all of Issei's body from view of both Rias and Raiser. Then Ddraigs voice came from the boosted gear.

 **[Welsh Dragon Balance Breaker!]**

The light died down, and there Issei stood, in a crimson red armour with plates that mirrored dragon scales. Rias stared at the back of her pawn, amazed at the tremendous increase in power she felt coming from him. And also fearful at the irratic fluctuations of it. Raiser had a look of surprise at the boost in strength of the boy who he judged as just an insect to be squashed, his arrogant smirk quickly returned.

"The forbidden technique of the Red Dragon? Do you really think that will be enough to defeat Raiser?" He said referring to himself in the third person.

Where both Raiser and Rias were expecting to hear only Issei's voice, it was Ddraig that spoke just before his host.

 **[Raiser Phenex. Your actions here have sealed your fate, and you will learn who the true Masters of fire really are. The depths of the crimson purgatory shall welcome another soul.]**

"You killed her, when you didn't need to...So I will take from you...what you took from Asia." Issei said in a deeper voice than usual.

With the change in his voice, Rias was concerned at what Issei was getting himself into. The thought of her losing Asia brought tears to trickle down her face. She tried to bring Issei back to his normal self, only to be stopped by his Ddraig warning her.

 **[Rias Gremory. My Partner cannot be stopped, if you value your life, you should retreat to a safe distance.]**

"ISE! We need to fall back and work together to take him out!" Rias called out to Issei, ignoring the dragons warning. She took a few steps towards him, but stopped in her tracks as she saw the air surrounding Issei start to waver, like it would combust into flames at any moment. The heat increased far above what she felt Raiser use earlier, she backed away when to the edge of the roof when the heat got to a level that it started crack the roof under Issei's feet.

Issei had his gaze through the helmet locked onto Raiser, not hearing anything that his King had been saying to him. The whispers kept coming, telling him the words to give him his revenge. Issei lifted both hands with palms pointed towards the sky, and a small flame appeared in each, the flames flickered towards Raiser like they wanted to drag him into itself.

"Raiser thinks this boy needs to learn his place, the Phenex is immortal, there's nothing my fire can't burn to ashes." Raiser said to armored figure in front of him, igniting a flame of his own. Raiser threw a ball of flames the size of a soccer ball directly to issei's chest. As it drew closer, the flickering from the small flames in Issei's hands switched to the incoming fire. The ball of fire stopped in mid air as it was directly in between the two flames, before Raisers flame fizzled out of existence.

"How the Hell did you do that boy?! Nothing burns hotter than the Phenex Hell-Fire!" Raiser screamed, but Issei paid no attention to the words, only focusing on his desire to rid the world of the Phenex Son. Issei started to chant, which was alternated with his voice and Ddraigs.

"We, the wielders of domination, will bring the all consuming flames to ravage."

 **[We, the wielders of domination, will scorch the world in an infinite blaze.]**

The armor on Issei's body started to change, no longer seeming like armor, and more like dragonhide as it lost the pointed edges. A Crimson flame burst in a ring around Issei's feet, then a flame appeared at the end of the tail connected to his back. As the flame traveled up the tail, it revealed crimson scales that matched the color of the fire on the ground. The flame soon had run across all of Issei's body, with his armor now entirely crimson, and the jewels were now the same golden as the spikes that protruded from the armor. Issei said the last part of the chant, and it was matched by Ddraig and the other voices as a pillar of crimson fire rose around him.

 **["** _ **Nothing shall remain, as the ashes are reduced to dreams, RISE CRIMSON FLAMES OF DOMINATION!**_ " **]**

The pillar of fire caused the roof to cave in, making both Rias and Raiser take flight to avoid falling into the debris. The arena had been greatly affected by Issei's fire, the temperature rising to almost intolerable levels, the leaves combusting as they fell off the trees. The grass withered as the moisture was taken from the air. The air itself wavered, appearing as a heat wave with no gaps.

Rias had a hard time breathing in the heated atmosphere, staring wide eyed at Issei at the new armor-like skin he wore, the tail on his back swaying in the heated breeze.

Raiser held onto his arrogance, and instead of insulting the pawn of his fiance any longer, decided to rush him with a fist covered in his own flame. Raisers flame wings flapped to increase the speed of his attack, and pulled his fist back for a punch.

"I'll prove that nothing burns like Raisers flames! Raiser will Burn you like that blonde bitch!" Raiser yelled to Issei as he got closer to the pillar of crimson fire, planning to rush passed it to hit Issei in the jaw.

Issei could see Raiser flying towards him through the fire, and wasn't phased by the meager fire the bird produced. But..When he insulted Asia as he drew closer, Issei's blood boiled as hot as the flames surrounding him. Issei extended his left hand out towards Raiser, commanding the crimson flames to obey his command. The twister of fire died down, and condensed itself into a shield-like form in front of Issei's palm.

Raisers fist made contact with the blazing shield, but his hand didn't go through it as he thought it would, it stopped him immediately. Issei's fire flickered as it recognized its aggressor to be the source of its masters rage. The flame lost its shield form, and twisted itself around Raisers arm, swirling as it burned through his flesh.

"GAAAAAHHHHHH!" Raiser screamed in pain as his arm was burning. He tried frantically to brush the fire off of him, but the fire just burned through his fingers, causing them to regenerate once they were out of the fire. Raisers arm had been reduced to a stump that ended at the elbow, Issei's fire swirled around where his arm ended to keep it from regenerating.

Issei called for more of his fire in his palm, and slammed it onto Raisers other arm, burning it to the same condition as his other. Raiser screamed in pain for another minute, before gritting his teeth to restrain himself. He gave the crimson armored figure a death glare.

"Do you understand the importance of this marriage?! You're meddling in affairs far above yourself! This union is to continue the line of pure-bred devils!" Raiser said with the utmost malice he could, but he knew he'd lost here. His only hope now was to somehow appeal to the logical side of Issei, if it was still there.

The golden eyes of Issei's helmet peered to Raiser's defeated form, holding no sympathy, nor planning to stop. He'd written his fate the moment he brought his flames to Asia's body.

"There won't be a marriage, since you're not leaving this place alive." Issei's voice echoed through the minds of the other two people still in the arena with him, Rias and Raiser. Rias gasped as she held a hand over her mouth, not believing that Issei planned to kill Raiser, his voice had never held that murderous tone before.

Raiser's angered expression was replaced with one of absolute fear. He valued himself above all else, the talk of boosting devils numbers was just to cover his selfish desires to claim Rias Gremory. So he'd offer anything to the red dragon to save himself, even if doing it would damage his reputation, embarrassment was better than death.

"What is it you want? Women? Money? Name it, and it's yours!" Raisers voice became desperate.

Issei lifted his crimson hands once again, summoning the fire that promised death for Raiser. The flames were pulling towards Raiser more than they had before, wanting to finish what it had started, and they were twice the size and intensity of the last two. Issei placed his hands on each side of Raisers, the fire just waiting in anticipation for the command.

"I told what I want. You took Asia's life, so I'm taking yours. _**Burn.**_ "

The final command had been given, and the flame obeyed. It twisted around Raisers face as it replicated what he had done to Asia. Raiser screamed in agony as he felt his regeneration try to fight off the flames, and slowly failing. Rias turned her head to the side, not wanting to see the pawn she had been developing feelings for change into a heartless killer.

The flames on Raisers arms crawled up to his shoulders as his regenerative abilities slowed, unable to keep up with the pace the flesh was melting off. The screaming stopped as the fire raised from his shoulders to his neck, burning off his vocal cords.

Issei just watched as Raiser burned, and fell over on the ground, missing everything from above his chest. No emotions could be felt from Issei, they'd been used to feed the fire that consumed Raiser. His head tilted towards the sky as he heard the call for the end of the rating game.

 _Raiser Phenex- Killed in Combat. Rias Gremory is the Victor._


	2. Lost and Found

**"...talking…"**

 **'...Thinking…'**

 **"** _ **..Host talking to Sacred gear only.."**_

 **[ Sacred gear spirit talking ]**

 _ **[Sacred gear spirit talking to host only ]**_

 **I OWN NOTHING**

 **Chapter 2**

Rias sat at her desk in the ORC room at Kuoh Academy, her head was cloudy from stress and lack of sleep. It's been 2 weeks since the Rating Game against Raiser, 2 weeks since Raiser and Asia were killed, and 2 weeks since Issei disappeared.

Rias looked frantically for her pawn and savior once she was transported from the arena, only to find he wasn't there, and no signs as to where he was. And so far none of the resources dispatched by her brother and the Phenex family could find any trace of him.

The fact that the Phenex family wanted to search for Issei was initially worrisome for Rias, she thought they were looking for him to get revenge for the death of their son. But it was apparently the work of Ravel, the youngest child in the family, that requested to help search for him.

Rias had good reason to be cautious of the Phenex family's help. As soon as the Rating game had ended, some of the more prominent and influential devils still alive were calling to have Issei put on trial for treason, charged with premeditated murder of a high-class devil. After 4 days of them yelling about Issei's predetermined guilty sentence, Ravel and her parents made a public statement, asking if they would not do the same for their own family, that effectively shut them up. But even after 2 weeks, they still hadn't heard a thing about Issei's whereabouts.

Akeno stood behind Rias, rubbing her back to try and soothe her King and best friend. Koneko hadn't shown any change, but had only eaten half of the sweets she usually would. Kiba kept his smile, but his eyes showed that he was concerned, but no one knew whether it was about Rias or Issei. He gave words of comfort every so often to try and bring everyone's spirits up.

Sona had dropped by the day after the rating game, giving her sympathies for the loss of Asia. She repeated her words when Rias told Sona about Issei's disappearance, and Sona's rook Yura was the only one in her peerage to have a visible reaction.

"Rias, we should head to class, I'm sure your brother will find something soon." Akeno said, as she removed her hand from Rias' back.

Rias didn't answer, she just lifted her head off of her folded arms on her desk, revealing her bloodshot eyes with tear stains evident on her face. She stood up, grabbing her school bag and walking out without saying a word to anyone. Akeno stared at where her King had just left her view, her neutral expression turned into a frown, understanding just what she was feeling. The loss of those she considered family, then followed Rias out of the door.

 **-LineBreak-**

Ravel Phenex stood inside of a basement on the outskirts of a rural town in the underworld, holding a hand over her nose and mouth, afraid that she'd either vomit or scream at what she was seeing.

She had been the one hear the conversation about the missing Red Dragon Emperor while she was walking past her older brothers room. She wished that she heard wrong, that a member of her family wasn't involved in this, but the evidence was right in front of her.

Ravel stood at a doorway with two others, Grayfia - the silver queen of annihilation, and an unfamiliar woman with blue hair that emitted an aura of arctic temperatures. The three looked into the room with different expressions. Grayfia had kept most of her stoic appearance, only the slight softening of her eyes being the only difference. Ravel tried her best to hold herself together, unable to move an inch. The blue haired woman, had a look of rage laced with sympathy on her face.

In front of the three women, was Issei. Bound with magically enhanced cast iron chains on each limb and around his neck, keeping him attached within 6 inches of the concrete wall behind him. And a man familiar to Ravel standing in front of him, with a hand embedded into the stomach of Issei with flames pulsing off of it. Roland Phenex, the 2nd son of the Phenex family. The only sounds were the screams of the Gremory pawn as the flames coated his insides, and the maniacal laughter coming from the Phenex son.

Around the room, Ravel could see blood splattered on the wall behind Issei. There were at least a dozen different body parts, arms and legs thrown corners that looked like they had been torn off of the boy.

"How does it feel, going through the very same treatment you put my brother through? I bet you wish you were dead about now. Too bad that isn't going to happen, not with the altered blood that runs in your veins." Roland spoke into Issei's ear, not sensing the presence of the people behind him.

Issei lifted his head, facing Roland with hollow eyes, one still holding its light brown color. The other was crimson, his blood had stained the iris from the punishment that Roland had put him through. Issei's body was covered in burn marks and slashes that appeared to have been years old, which grayfia knew couldn't be the case, since she found him shirtless with Rias in his room only a few weeks ago.

A single tear trickled down Issei's cheek, the torture he was going through was nothing compared to the grief of failing to save Asia. And the nightmares of her screams each night only made that feeling worse. His eyes left Rolands face as his head hung back down, the pain subsiding enough to be tolerable.

"Still not speaking are we? What if I burn off your balls, would that get you to beg? How about if I dismember your father in front of you? Then maybe Rape your mother, make both of you watch as she screams in pleasurable agony until I burn her vocal cords like you did to my brother!" Roland yelled out, re-igniting the flames on the hand still inside Issei's gut.

The blue haired woman next to Ravel had seen and heard enough. She stepped forward, her steps echoing throughout the room. An Iceberg blue aura covering her body.

Roland heard the steps, but didn't turn around, thinking it was someone else.

"About time you got here Shalba. Hurry up and take his sacred gear so I can kill this miserable piece of shit." He said with venom in his voice, as he took his hand out of Issei and turned around.

"?!" Roland's eyes shot wide open as he turned around, seeing his sister among two others, both of which he recognized. Grayfia's eyes narrowed in disgust towards the blonde young man, flashbacks of her own treatment during the civil war coming to mind. The blue haired woman raised her left hand, snapping her fingers as an ice blue light emitted from it.

Roland's hands and feet were both suddenly layered in thick ice, he stumbled as he almost fell face first onto the floor. Regaining his stance, he quickly shot his head up to the trio of women who caught him red-handed. Grayfia stepped forward towards Roland, as his eyes widened at the ice cold and venomous glare she gave him.

Roland opened his mouth to speak, before Grayfia froze it shut without moving a finger.

"Roland Phenex, you _will_ hold your tongue." She said, the ice in her tone evident.

Ravel stared at her brother, disgusted at what she caught him doing, angry that more than one person in her family was so driven by their own desires, that they'd end someone elses life to satisfy themselves.

The blue haired woman walked towards Issei, who was oblivious to the approach. She looked over his body quickly, seeing the hole in his stomach, she placed a hand over the wound. Issei slowly looked up towards them, but no relief or any sign of emotion came from him as the light of healing magic came from the woman in front of him.

Once the hole was closed, the blue haired woman touched the chains binding the boy, Frost built up on them before they burst into small links, freeing Issei from the wall. Issei fell forward, having lost the strength to stand on his own, into the arms of the woman. She wrapped her arms around him, in an attempt to convey a feeling of safety, Issei only shuddered at the sudden contact.

 **-LineBreak-**

Rias, Akeno, Kiba and Koneko had returned to the ORC room just after school, the Gremory Heiress seeming to have a bit more life to her than that morning. They were in their usual positions. Rias at her desk, Akeno preparing tea and snacks, Kiba at the window, and Koneko eating candy on the couch.

Rias sighed as she put the paper with contract numbers down. Akeno came out of the back room, carrying a tray of cups for tea and cookies.

Koneko stopped eating her chocolate bar and stared to the side of the room to the right of Rias' desk. Rias looked towards Koneko, seeing the look in her eyes, she knew something was up.

"Koneko, what is it?" Rias asked.

"...Phenex…" She said with a narrowed gaze.

Everyone widened their eyes a bit, and got ready for a potential hostile guest, as a magic circle made itself known on the floor. It was the Phenex house symbol. Flames burst from the circle, 4 figures could be vaguely seen from inside the flames, before the fire died down.

"?!" All in the ORC gasped as they saw the figures emerge from the magic circle, but only one in particular mattered to them.

"ISE?!" Rias yelled out, jumping from her chair, seeing the young man that plagued her mind for the past 2 weeks asleep in the arms of an unknown woman.

He was in the arms of a taller woman with blue hair that stretched down to her hips. Teal colored eyes that exuded power. The woman turned herself and Issei away from the approaching Redhead, not wanting the boy in her grasp to have an adverse reaction to sudden contact, he'd only just stopped shaking from her touch.

It was only after she was denied the contact of her pawn that Rias noticed the others that came. Grayfia was in the front of the others in the circle, with Ravel to her left and Issei held by the blue haired woman to her right.

Rias noticed the strange expressions on each of their faces, and then the marks all over Ise's body. Her heart sank as she looked at how battered he was. She set her eyes to Grayfia with a thankful yet pained expression.

"Grayfia...Thank you for finding him." She said as tears formed in the corners of her eyes.

Grayfia bowed slightly, before casting her eyes to the people on each side of her, Ravel first then Issei.

"Don't thank me Lady Rias. Lady Ravel was the one that learned of his location." Rias and the rest of the ORC looked to Ravel, who normally would be embarrassed at the sudden spotlight being put on her, but she looked upset for some reason.

"Lady Rias, I...I'm so sorry…" She said, her voice cracking. What she saw her brother do in the Rating Game, and then her other brother do to Issei...It made her feel ashamed to be associated to the same family. She stepped forward and bowed deeply to Rias, who was only looking at Issei and the woman holding him.

The members of the ORC all looked relieved to have Issei finally back with them, and all stepped in line with Rias wanting to see his condition. Akeno, Kiba and Koneko all frowned at seeing the burns and scars on the visible parts of his body, but made no moves towards him, after seeing the blue-haired woman reject Rias from approaching. Rias spoke up once more.

"Where did you find him? What happened to him?" She asked, slight desperation in her voice.

"Perhaps we should wait till he wakes, I don't feel it is our place to speak on this. I will say that the one responsible for his disappearance has been taken into custody." Grayfia said, earning a confused look on each of the ORC members.

Instead of questioning the Silver queen any further, Rias set her gaze to Ravel, recalling the apology she tried to give. Rias saw the embarrassment layered with disgust in her eyes, knowing how proud the Phenex daughter was of her family, that lead Rias to believe that her initial worries of a Phenex retaliation were justified. But Issei was back now, so she could get angry over that later, once she learned the truth.

Rias set her gaze back to Grayfia. "Alright, let's put Ise in the spare room for now."

Grayfia nodded, turning towards Issei and the woman who held him, she opened the door to the bedroom in the back of the ORC room that Rias often used. Rias' curiosity got the better of her, not knowing who was holding onto her pawn as if he were a family member eating at her mind, she felt she had the right to know as his master.

"Grayfia, who is this?" Rias asked, pointing towards the blue haired woman.

Grayfia regained her usual maid posture, hands clasped in front of her body. She glanced towards the blue haired woman, who shook her head negatively, Grayfia went to speak but was cut off by the one carrying Issei.

"Who I am is not important. Your priorities should be with your servant." The blue haired woman said, her voice leaving no room for argument. She walked into the bedroom, laying Issei down onto the bed with red silk sheets, covering him up to his chest. She sat on the edge of the bed, her hand running through his hair as a sad smile crossed her face, as memories of days long passed came rushing to her.

"Does he have a familiar?" The woman spoke, her voice causing Grayfia to widen her eyes a bit before quickly returning to her usual look. Rias noticed the slip from Grayfia, thinking this would be a clue to her identity, maybe a familiar master? Rias shook her head, which couldn't be seen by the blue haired woman sitting with her pawn.

"No, he doesn't. I was planning to set an appointment in 3 months." Rias said, the blue haired woman slightly nodded, which could only be seen through the dim candle light in the bedroom thanks to devils enhanced eyesight.

"You will go in one week, no others will be allowed entry. Tell him to follow the blue spark, he won't understand until you get there." She said, standing from the bed, and using an ocean blue magic circle to warp herself away.

Rias and all others in the room looked on curiously as the unknown woman was teleported away, pondering her words. Grayfia seemed to be the only one who wasn't utterly confused by the statement, her expression was slightly more serious than usual.

"I shall go inform both Lord Lucifer and the Phenex family that Issei Hyoudou has been returned safely." Grayfia said with a bow, before warping herself away with a silver circle with the Gremory crest in the center. Not waiting for any sign of recognition from Rias.

Seeing the strange events unfold, Rias set her eyes to the last person who arrived with Ise, Ravel Phenex. The young blonde girl looked nervous to be in the presence of the ones she had been fighting a short time ago. Rias' eyes narrowed as she questioned the Phenex girl.

"Lady Ravel, you apologised earlier, may I ask what for?" Rias asked as she crossed her arms under her chest, already having a _very_ good idea as to what caused her pawns disappearance.

Ravel hung her head down, trying her best to not recall the images of the basement cell she found Issei was held in. She reigned in her emotions, as she lifted her head, making eye contact with Rias.

"For the state your servant is in. If I had gotten the information earlier...It may not have been this bad. I've been instructed not to say anymore, and to wait for Lord hyoudou to tell you himself if he wishes." Ravel stated in the most regal voice she could muster, which still cracked a little.

"And just _who_ was it that told you to hold this information from me? _I_ am his master, and should be given any and all information about what conditions he was in." Rias said, her gaze locked onto the young Phenex girl.

Ravel didn't give in, her instructions were clear, and couldn't be deviated from.

"Lord Lucifer and my father gave me explicit orders. If Issei Hyoudou doesn't want the information about his whereabouts known..I am not to say a word."

Rias rubbed the bridge of her nose in frustration. Of course her brother would be trying to control some part of her life once again. The Phenex family being a part of it wasn't all that surprising either. She knew better than to try and reason with the girl in front of her, Ravel's sense of duty would undoubtedly stop her from revealing the information Rias wanted. So the only option was to wait for Issei to wake up and ask him herself.

"Alright. I'll just have to as Ise himself when he wakes up. Akeno, Kiba, Koneko. You can all go home and rest, club activities will be put on hold for the night, i'll call you all when Ise wakes up."

"Yes President." The three ORC members responded in unison, before grabbing their belongings and making their way home.

Rias walked passed Ravel and into the bedroom where Issei was asleep. Closing the door behind her, she walked up to the bed, and started removing her clothing piece by piece until she was completely naked.

Rias looked at her pawn laying there, an expression in between peaceful sleep and horrible nightmare on his face as his forehead and eyes would contort every once in a while. Rias lifted the blanket covering her savior, and climbed in bed next to him, wanting to give him some form of comfort. She slid up to Issei, wrapping her arms around the younger boy, bringing his head to her chest like a body pillow as sleep started to claim her.

 **-LineBreak-**

Issei was crouched down, holding his hands over his ears, and eyes squinted shut. Trying his best to block out the voice threatening to drive him to the brink of insanity.

Issei was surrounded by nothing but darkness in all directions as far as the eye could see. Ever since he fell asleep in the arms of some unknown woman, all he'd seen was nightmares laced with brief looks into the happy moments he spent with Asia.

It would start with him in the arcade playing a racing game with Asia, or winning her the plushie that she wouldn't admit she wanted. But it would turn dark as they reached the same fountain that Issei had been killed at. Asia would turn to Issei, wanting to tell him something, and he always asked to hear what it was...no matter if he knew the outcome.

Then Asia would stand, walk in front of him, lean forward and whisper in a voice that wasn't her own. " _Would you die for me Issei."_

Then Issei would look at her like she'd grown a second head, each time seemed to hurt more than the last, as he remembered the voice of Raynare. Then Asia would take a few steps back, spread her arms and her body would glow purple as it changed.

Her left eye would turn violet, and her hair would have alternating streaks of blonde and black as one black fallen angel wing would sprout from her back. Her face was like it split in two, the green eyed side would hold nothing but her caring and sympathetic nature. While the other side would have this malicious and violent look to it, like Issei was nothing more than an ant in her path.

The pain inside of him would only grow as he heard the next words that the split personality of Asia and Raynare spoke.

" _I had fun, even if it was only for today." Asia would say_

" _It was like playing house with a child" Raynare continued._

" " _Thanks for the gift."" They'd say in unison. Their expressions would switch, Asia holding the violent glare, while Raynare took on the innocent look._

" " _If you want to blame someone...Blame yourself...For being so pathetically weak."" Their combined voices said as a light spear would come from nowhere, and impale Issei. And then the cycle would start all over again._

 **We'll be getting back into combat stuff after this chapter or the next, depends on my pacing...which is what im using this story as practice for. I need to get better about time skips. The familiar forest will be our next fight, against the hydra. Also dropping more hints about something regarding Asia that will come into play later. More hints about that next chapter.**

 **If you read, A Different Direction.. I need to re-write the next chapter, so I'll be starting that tomorrow. I had 6,000 words and it was nowhere near where I wanted it to be..so yea...delete and restart.**

 **Next chapter - Poison Vs. Fire**


	3. First Day Back

The day flew by him in a strange fog. He knew what was going on around him, but it was almost like it wasn't _his_ life, that he was witnessing.

When Issei had woken up the next morning, he couldn't believe his eyes.

He was back where he belonged.

In his home town, With Rias and the rest of the peerage.

'Not all of them…' He thought sadly.

Asia was still dead.

And it was a slap in the face of what he couldn't do.

But he was back, alive and mostly intact. So he had to do what everyone else did. Deal with the stress of his failures, and try to move on, no matter how hard it would be.

That first morning he had woken up in Rias' arms. She was holding his head into her bare breasts, as if she were afraid that he was going to disappear on her again.

When he had managed to get himself free, she whimpered his name in her sleep. It sent a wave of conflicting emotions through him. Happiness that she was thinking of him, and guilt that he had worried his king and master. He was supposed to be the protector, at least that's how he had wanted to be.

But he'd been nothing more than a burden, a hinderance ever since his reincarnation.

That would end.

As soon as his body was back to 100%, he would train tirelessly. He would make sure that none of his other peerage family would be harmed because he was too weak or too slow.

He would burn anything that stood in their way to ash.

Issei had returned home with enough time to shower and return in time for class. But he hadn't counted on his parents reaction.

He'd seen the posters on the telephone poles during his walk, but it hadn't really clicked in his head.

His parents had no idea where he'd gone, when he'd return, who he was with….nothing.

They were left in the dark. Both him and Asia had left in the middle of the night and never returned. And 2 weeks later, he strolled in alone while his mother was in the kitchen.

She'd looked at him like he was a ghost coming to say that he'd passed on. The look of shock and fright was unmistakable.

"Hey mom. I'm home."

She'd leapt out of her seat, placing a cautious hand on the scarred visage of her son to make sure that he was in fact real.

Once she had determined it for herself, she wrapped her arms around him so quickly, that he didn't have time to steady himself.

A supernatural body was nothing compared to a worried mother.

"ISE! You stupid stupid stupid…." She started sobbing into his shoulder.

Issei held his mother, basking in the care and love she offered.

His time in that dungeon made warm emotions feel like a distant past.

"We didn't know what happened to you or….. Issei honey….Where's Asia?"

The sobbing stopped, and she pulled her head back to look at her son.

His pained expression gave her enough….but she needed to hear it, just in case she was coming to the wrong conclusion.

"Mom…That night, Asia and I stepped outside. We just wanted to talk without waking you two. Enjoy the night air." Issei tried to spin a plausible story on the spot.

if his mom was this worked up, then it meant that Rias hadn't been in any state of mind to alter their memories.

"We were taken, I don't know by who, I don't really know where we went. The blindfold never came off."

He gave a tale of being chained to a wall, which was true. Being whipped, beaten and asked questions in a language he didn't understand.

And then Gunshots, his chains being broken before the blindfold slipped off, just enough for him to see out of the corner. And there she laid, her body burned and laying absolutely still as he was dragged outside.

"Asia's dead…."

 **-LineBreak-**

And thus started the strangest day at Kuoh Academy.

Issei walked back to school, not having any of his books or supplies with him.

He figured that it would be enough that he was there in the first place. Not that any of the staff would understand.

He walked through the gates, and almost immediately people took notice of him.

Or more accurately, the marks on his body.

"What the hell happened to the perv?"

"He looks like shit."

"He probably got into some weird BDSM fetish."

Their comments were hardly registered. He just continued walking towards the main building.

Issei stopped just outside of the main building, taking a calming breath.

He wasn't sure that he was prepared to see anything that had to do with Asia yet, but he had to start somewhere. He would just do his best to ignore everyone, for his own sanity.

"ISE!"

A familiar voice called out from far to his left.

Issei turned to see Rias sprinting towards him at a speed that she should not be using in front of normal humans.

Her could see the trail of liquid flowing from her eyes as she ran, and quickly collided with him. She held him close, one arm around his back, the other on the back of his head, pressing him into her cleavage while she nuzzled into the top of his head.

Issei was still trying to catch up to the rapidly developing event. And before he could, she pulled herself back.

A step backwards gave her the space she needed to place a hand on each side of his face, pulling his lips directly into contact with hers.

In front of half of the student population.

And as expected, they freaked the fuck out.

Neither of them cared though, lost in their own world as they were.

Rias didn't pull back as he might have thought she would. Instead she reaffirmed her hold on him, pulling him deeper into the kiss, prodding his lips with her tongue.

It felt like an hour later when they pulled apart. Out of breath.

Rias wiped at her eyes and looked at her pawn his sad yet happy eyes.

"How could you… You just left without a word, I had no idea where you were. I just got you back Ise."

"Sorry Buchou. It won't happen again." She picked up on how coarse his voice still was.

She wanted details on where he was… and what had happened to him, but now wasn't the time.

"Are you sure you up to going to school?" She asked instead.

He nodded. His expression was mostly neutral, only the hint of happiness in his eyes told her that Issei was happy that she was with him.

The murmurs around them were starting to be heard.

"I think I need this. To get back to the normal routine. Some of it will be hard, but i'll get through."

And before Rias could say anything else, Issei stepped away and walked into the building and out of sight.

"Is Rias really into the perv?"

"Did he blackmail her into doing that?"

"I bet his absence was a hoax."

Rias felt her blood start to boil at the comments around her, regarding her pawn. But she would hold her emotions in, they had no knowledge of her world. And Issei had given them very good reason to doubt him before. They just didn't know him like she did.

 **-LineBreak-**

The day was grating on his already very worn nerves.

The populace of his classroom had taken to badgering him about where he'd been, what was with the scars, and the girls wanted to know where Asia was.

He said nothing. Not even to his two perverted buddies. He ignored them all.

It was what he needed to do.

All he wanted was peace and quiet. To be left alone to mourn the loss.

Dark, isolated, alone. Like the dungeon he was chained in.

Without the fire, pain and dismemberment of course.

 _"Are you sure you don't want the pain?"_

Issei snapped his head up towards where the teacher was rambling on.

The voice was all too familiar. The soft and caring tone, mixed with the haughty and arrogant.

It was _them._

He thought it was only a nightmare.

She…they…couldn't be haunting him while he was awake, could they?

His head snapped in each direction, drawing some attention from a few of his classmates. but he didn't see that blonde and black haired illusion.

The bell rang to signal the end of his math class.

"Hey Issei."

One of the voices he really didn't want to deal with right now spoke up.

Aika Kiryuu.

Bespectacled female pervert of Kuoh Academy. Relentless in her questioning. He knew he wouldn't like whatever it was that she was going to ask.

He had a hunch that he wouldn't be able to hold it together. But he would pray…to the devil kings, buddhas, dragons, shinto, greek, norse…whoever would listen, that he could control his emotions in long enough to appease her.

She sauntered over to his desk, a hand on her hip, the other on his desk as she leveled a snotty look at him.

"So where's Asia? You didn't keep her up all night did you? Did you at least make sure she could walk straight this morning?"

Just like he thought, she went right for where his mind had tried to steer clear of when it pertained to the blonde girl. She had been like a sister to him…family. It didn't matter that they didn't know each other that long. She was important to him.

"Since she's been living with you, i'm sure the two of you have been getting it on all the time. I hope you're being gentle with her. She's a gentle and naive girl, can't be exposing her to some of the raunchier stuff you're-"

"Stop." Issei said in an almost imperceptible voice.

Aika smirked, tilted her head towards him, with a hand cupped to her ear.

"I'm sorry, what was that? I could have sworn you just said that you bent over your kitchen counter….My my, I hope you cleaned up afterwards, that's certainly not sanitary."

 _"Hmmmm, well that certainly sounds like it_ ** _would_** _have been fun, if I wasn't burnt to a crisp that is." Their_ voice came back.

Issei grit his teeth to try and bare with it.

Aika took his silence as an admission. She started to display her own chest and run her hands over her body in a show of what she thought must have happened to keep Asia from school.

"I bet you held her hands down over her head. Didn't even bother undressing her, just pulled her panties to the side and plunging your-"

" **SHE'S DEAD!"**

Issei couldn't hold it in anymore. It was too much. The voices, the taunting. It just brought him back to the last two weeks, where he would scream in agony. Waiting for relief was a foreign concept, he had to make it happen.

Do something to make it stop….anything.

" **DOES THAT SATISFY YOU? THAT'S WHY SHE'S NOT HERE! SHE WAS BURNED ALIVE, I HEARD HER SCREAM! SAW HER SKIN TURNED TO CHARCOAL! I SAW A GIRL I LOVED LIKE A SISTER REDUCED TO A LIFELESS SACK OF CRUNCHY FLESH!"**

He wasn't sure when he stood up, but he was yelling right into the wide eyes of Aika Kiryuu as the rest of the class was dead silent, looking at the marks on his body in a new light.

In his rage, he didn't care if they knew what happened to him, didn't care if he told the world about the secret realms that surrounded their own.

 **"THESE LAST TWO WEEKS….I'VE BEEN IN CHAINS! BEATEN, BURNED, CUT, SLASHED! YOU THINK YOU'RE FUCKING PERIOD CRAMPS HURT?! WAIT UNTIL YOU'RE VOICE GOES OUT FROM SCREAMING FOR HOURS ON END! AND JUST WHEN YOU THINK IT'S OVER, THEY TURN YOU OVER, FACE FIRST AGAINST THE WALL YOUR HEAD HAS BEEN BANGING AGAINST, TRYING TO GET AWAY, JUST TO START ALL OVER AGAIN!"**

Tears streaming down his face without his knowledge, Issei stood there, staring into her eyes. Waiting for some sort of reaction.

He should've known that this would happen. He had the worst reputations in the school, so of course he was going to get the third degree about any little thing they could dig up.

They stood there, motionless, for an unknown amount of time.

Someone regained themselves and had tugged on his sleeve gently, not wanting to be on his warpath.

A shuddering breath left Issei as he slowly turned his head.

He saw the short pink hair, and immediately prepare himself for another attack.

Katase. One of the Kendo girls that loved to beat on him.

Her eyes were worried, for what he wasn't sure.

"She's…..really gone?" It was unusual to her voice as quite as that.

His rage had dissipated mostly, allowing him to regain his normal thought process.

At Issei's nod, he saw her pink eyes glisten. And suddenly he felt like an asshole.

Asia was her friend, and he'd just told her that she's dead in a rather cruel fashion.

He saw the hitch in her breath, clenching of her jaw.

Issei wouldn't have stopped himself even if he knew there would be a beating on the other end.

He pulled Katase into a hug, wrapping his arms around her shoulders tightly.

She didn't even resist, too distraught by the news.

Her hands were up against her face to hide the tears spilling forth.

The class watched on as the two held each other, mourning their loss.

When the bell rang for classes to resume, Issei had decided that he was in no shape to maintain his usual schedule.

So he left.

Out and into the old school building to wait for his friends. Hopefully they would bring him some peace.

 **END!**

 **Short, I know. But that's the plan for this story. I'll do my best to keep the updates quicker.**

 **We'll skip up to the familiar forest next chapter, I just felt this was necessary.**


	4. I will update once my life calms down

I get married in a month, and am leaving for a week afterwards. I'll try and put out something beforehand for each story. But things are hectic, crazy, busy, tiring...

I know some of you are getting antsy, waiting for a new chapter. It'll come once i get the chance, which i hope is soon.


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